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ROSE BOWL GAME: TEXAS v SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

January 1, 2006

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA

Q. Michael, first of all, just a technical question. I read through your bio and I see all these times and meters. I don't know meters, I'm a yards guy. What's your best time in the 40?
MICHAEL HUFF: In the 40, probably 4.34 last spring.
Q. 4.34 on grass?
MICHAEL HUFF: Yes.
Q. I saw the other day that you'd like the opportunity if it was presented to shadow Reggie. Why would you like that?
MICHAEL HUFF: I'm just a competitive guy. I love playing college football and I love going against the best. You go against the best, you play the best, so I look forward to the challenge and hopefully our defense has a best chance to win.
Q. Tim, can you talk about the match-up problems that you might have with the offensive line or do you see any advantages you guys might have over them?
TIM CROWDER: I really don't see no advantage or disadvantage. It will just be a head-to-head fight. They work good as an offensive line, they work good as a defensive line, so it will be a great battle out there.
Q. Michael, how good a job do you think Ramonce and Jamaal have done giving you a look at what Reggie is going to be like on Wednesday?
MICHAEL HUFF: I think they did great jobs. They're two explosive running backs. Reggie Bush is his own guy and he has different moves he's going to bring out, probably going to try to hurdle, jump over you. I think they did a great job, but they can't do as good a job as Bush.
Q. For all three of you, you hear the reports that USC has the best offense of all time. Do you see it the same way or is that a good challenge for you?
MICHAEL HUFF: I see it as a good challenge. They have two Heisman winners in the backfield and all-Americans at receiver and tight end and running back. They definitely have a great offense and I look forward to the challenge.
RASHAD BOBINO: I'd say the same thing. They're really good on really both ends of the ball. Their defense doesn't get enough credit as they need to, considering they played every team that was -- the offense they had was in the top 20 offenses in the nation. But their offense being the greatest in history, this is going to be a really big challenge to us and we'll have to go out there and play the best offense in the history of football. I'm really going to enjoy this one.
TIM CROWDER: Like Bobino said and Mike said, it'll be a great challenge for us. They have everything an offensive coordinator would want. I would love to be the offensive coordinator over there because you can throw any kind of offense and they'll make it work somehow. It'll be a great challenge.
Q. When you watch the game films, do you go, wow, they are different from all the other teams that we play?
RASHAD BOBINO: Yes, watching the game film, it's like this is a highlight tape, this is not a game film. Watching Reggie Bush running over people, Matt Leinart squeezing three holes, Dwayne Jarrett, LenDale running through people, tight ends dragging -- and the guards, oh, my God, taking linebackers and just throwing them 15, 10 yards back. Looking at them, it's like, "This is a team? Man, I see why they're No. 1 in the nation." After looking at that, it's just a big highlight tape. It's not even like a film you watch where some defenses have to assess -- it's not like that. It's one-dimensional, USC offense.
Q. Michael, I'm sorry to do this to you because I don't know how you top that (laughter), but when you've watched Reggie, has there been a particular play or plays where you have said, "wow," where you have marveled? Do you recall one in particular?
MICHAEL HUFF: He probably has one every game. I can't just call out one. Every game he makes big plays, and whatever the offense needs, he does. He makes a few great blocks in there. He does whatever the offense needs, and he's just a great player.
Q. Is there something about him, though, that separates him from any other back you've seen?
MICHAEL HUFF: Just his looseness and just his instincts; how are you going to jump over a guy going into the end zone. He's a great football player, great athlete.
RASHAD BOBINO: My favorite one that made me go "wow" was the Notre Dame game when he shook off a tackle, hit the hole and jumped over the safety and took it to the house.
Q. First touchdown?
RASHAD BOBINO: Yeah, that was wild. That was really good.
Q. You guys kind of addressed this a little bit before, but if you go out and play a big game against the greatest offense of all time, does that give you the right to say maybe we're the greatest defense? Maybe it sounds a little crazy, but is that the way you approach it, that this is the greatest challenge we'll ever face and it gives us a chance to make a little history?
RASHAD BOBINO: Well, if A equals B and B equals C, you can do the math (laughter).
TIM CROWDER: I think that about solves it (laughter).
Q. I've got to stick with you, Rashad. You're on a roll. How about being underdogs because throughout the year you guys have been heavy favorites in almost every game. You come into this one as a 7- or 8-point underdog. Do you relish it a little bit?
RASHAD BOBINO: You've got to love it. If you're not prepped for this game, being underdogs, they know, just like we watch them, they watch us. So the underdog thing, coming in we're away from home, we're in their backyard. I love being underdogs, being the visiting team. It just gives you that extra, you want to go out there and do it. This is going to be a really good setup for us. Underdog, I can't really say we're an underdog because it's only seven points. If it was like 50-some points, then it would be like, "woo, woo, bad," but pretty much it's going to be a really, really good game and I just can't wait to get out there and see who's going to be victorious.
Q. For all three of you following up on that, just the fact of winning here last year against Michigan, perhaps an underdog role, as well, and playing in a game Michigan has been in so many times perhaps like USC, can you use that to your advantage?
RASHAD BOBINO: Really there's no real advantage. We came out here last year. We went to Ohio State, wow. Football is going to be playing on grass 100 yards, and it really doesn't matter where the stadium is because the stadium doesn't make the team. You all see unbeatens, they go down in their home. Being away really doesn't mean anything. It's the best team that day, not the best team overall but the best team that plays that day is going to be victorious, and that's what really matters.
MICHAEL HUFF: I forgot the question.
Q. The Rose Bowl, playing off the experience of the Rose Bowl win last year.
MICHAEL HUFF: Late in the summer and late in the spring workouts, we wanted to be back because we knew what the experience was like and we knew next year would be the National Championship. We worked all summer and all two-a-days just to get back to the Rose Bowl.
Q. Michael, at any time either in high school or in college, have you ever spied another guy?
MICHAEL HUFF: I wouldn't say I never spied another guy, but as far as just where they line up, depending on the defense, depending on what down it is, find the guy and just go where he's at. But as far as a whole game spying a guy, I never have.
Q. Have you ever asked the coach if you could spy in a game if a player was hurting you?
MICHAEL HUFF: Well, I haven't, but if I felt that need, then I would.
Q. Have you approached your coaches and said I'd like a chance to be lined up on Reggie as much as possible?
MICHAEL HUFF: I've talked to Coach Akina all the time and I just tell him I want to be put in the best situation for our defense to be successful. Whatever coverage area, I'll do it. If it's covering Byrd, then I'll do it. I just do what I do to help this defense.
Q. Michael, we all know that you're a great defensive player, but you also do a tremendous job on the special teams. Can you talk about how important the special teams are going to be in this game?
MICHAEL HUFF: I think it's going to a key to the game. We have two great defenses, two great offenses. Whoever plays better on special teams, it could probably be the difference in the game.
Q. Tim, can you discuss getting pressure on the quarterback and containing the outside game of USC?
TIM CROWDER: It'll be very important. That's another thing. Any cornerback, I don't care if it's Peyton Manning or Steve McNair, if you get pressure on him, it'll round him up. Our coach told us all week we've got to get pressure on him, we've got to get pressure on him. We know that's going to be an important thing because we have to help the linebackers and the DBs and we're going to start with the front four. If you put pressure on them, it's going to help us out in this game.
Q. Michael, you started out as a track guy. There have been a lot of track guys who couldn't make it as football guys because they couldn't hit. When did you develop and really learn how to hit?
MICHAEL HUFF: Probably just the spring of my junior year because the first two years I was there I was a guy that ran around and looked pretty, didn't want to hit anybody. Coach Brown and Coach Akina told me if I ever want to play I have to learn how to hit and be physical. That's what I learned to do the last four or five years and it's paid off this year.
Q. Can you assess when he went from being pretty to being a football player?
RASHAD BOBINO: Yes, Huff is the prettiest man on the field (laughter). To see him actually come down and hit was very amazing to me. I think it really started when he started just killing people in the spring, I mean, like "That's Huff?" Because he's always flash, he's probably the surest talent on the team. But to see him bring that hit, man, amazing.
Q. Is Rod really the best bowler on the entire team?
TIM CROWDER: False.
RASHAD BOBINO: False.
MICHAEL HUFF: False.
RASHAD BOBINO: I would have to say Mr. Swagger himself. I would have to say I'm the best bowler on the team, even though I have my days. You put me in a tight situation, I'll bring it out. I'm the best bowler on the team. I don't care what Rod, Frank or any of them say, that is --
TIM CROWDER: False. I think I'm the best bowler. I don't go that much, but it's all about the shoes.
RASHAD BOBINO: He doesn't have the technique. I have the technique.
TIM CROWDER: I just throw the ball and they go in.
RASHAD BOBINO: I put a little spin on there, call it the Bobino spin, spangle, dangle. Y'all come out to the bowling lanes, I'll show you how to do it.
Q. Rashad, do you think a defensive player has an edge in bowling being that it's kind of aggressive?
RASHAD BOBINO: Anything knocking something down, I think I have the edge. I'm kind of built like a little bowling ball. It comes with the job.

End of FastScripts...

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ROSE BOWL GAME: TEXAS v SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

January 1, 2006

Rashad Bobino

Tim Crowder

Michael Huff